A Cosmic Garden: Stunning Blooms Captured in Skywatcher Photo

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Call it a garden of cosmic proportions: Blooming against the
blackness of space are no less than five stellar nebulas and two
star clusters, captured by night sky photographer Terry Hancock.

This panoramic view of a region in the Auriga constellation is
blossoming with cosmic activity. In view are the Flaming Star
Nebula (IC405),
the Tadpoles (IC410), the star cluster known as The Spider
(IC417) and The Fly Nebula (NGC1931), Messier open clusters M36
and M38 (which is also known as the Starfish Cluster), and
emission Nebulae Sh2-232 and its smaller companions.

Near the top right of the image is the comma-shaped
Flaming Star Nebula, named for its fire-like look. The
burning heart of this nebula is the star AE Aurigae, which was
likely born in a different stellar cluster and booted out by a
collision with two other stars.

The large, spherical cloud in the far left of the image is the
emission nebulas Sh2-232, accompanied by its smaller companions
Sh2-231 and Sh2-235.

Near the lower-middle region of the image is a small nugget of
light called NGC 1931, also known as The Fly. Just up and to the
right is NGC 1931, another bright collection of stars surrounded
by spindly threads of gas, known as The Spider. Each of these
objects are young, open star clusters still nestled in clouds of
hydrogen gas.

Hancock has photographed some of these objects individually, but
for this image he took on the challenge of imaging a wider range
of sky. From his backyard observatory in Fremont, Michigan,
Hancock create the image over two nights, with a total
integration time of 384 minutes.

Editor's note: If you have an
amazing night sky photo that you'd like to share for a
potential story or image gallery, please send images and comments
in to managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.